The Time Traveler

Kyle appears on his kitchen floor. He sits up, rubs his cheeks, and finds a sticker in his hand. A purple cow. He hopes his daughter didn’t put it on him, that it was lying on the floor. Then he sees his wife, a basket of Belle’s dirty laundry clenched against her hip. When Kyle waves, Jackie shakes her head. “You have to stop this,” she says, and storms down the basement stairs. “I will,” he

Kyle appears outside Belle’s school. Kids are pouring out so fast, he gets dizzy watching them and leans against a payphone. When Belle finally emerges, he waves, but she freezes on the steps. Kyle shoulders himself upright and calls to her. Belle shakes her head and turns to a teacher. Kyle swears and starts toward them, wondering how Belle could be wearing a dress he just saw in the laundry, when

Kyle appears in Geralyn’s car. She’s turning onto his block. He says, “Your car’s like a time machine. I get in, the door closes, and we’re here.” Geralyn shakes her head and stops at his house. Jackie turns off the bedroom light as Kyle undoes his seat belt and fumbles open the door. A few steps across the lawn, he turns to wave. The car’s already half

Kyle appears on his kitchen floor. He rolls over and rubs his cheek. A shard of macaroni comes unstuck. He should sweep. Then he sees the open basement door and the overturned basket of dirty laundry. Kyle shakes his head. That could have been him, spilled down the stairs. He tosses his clothes into the basket, tosses the basket into the basement, and swears he’ll stop

Kyle appears in Geralyn’s car. She’s turning onto his block. They used to talk, but she looks exhausted. It must be Saturday, when the bar’s so packed she can’t stop moving her whole shift. Geralyn stops at his house and undoes his seat belt. Kyle fumbles open the door. A few

Kyle appears on his kitchen floor. The basement door’s gone. It’s bad enough Jackie took Belle; he can’t believe she’d take the basement too. Kyle sits up and swears, “I’m going to stop this.” Then he realizes this isn’t his

Kyle appears outside Belle’s school. He’s holding up a payphone while others hold him up, then his hands are wrenched behind his back and

Kyle appears outside. Belle’s school is gone. And the kids. He leans against a payphone and, falling, realizes it’s also

Kyle appears in Geralyn’s car. This isn’t his block. They’re at the bar. He fumbles at the door to close it while she undoes his seat belt, saying, “Get out. I’m not

Kyle appears on his basement floor. Thank Christ that laundry basket cushioned his

Kyle appears outside. Belle? That could be her dress. Kyle wav

Kyle appears as Geralyn’s car disappears out of

Kyle appears on a soup kitchen floor, swearing

Kyle appears

Kyle

—Stephen S. Power is the author of the novel The Dragon Round, published by Simon & Schuster. Although he was born in New York City and grew up in suburban New York, he now considers himself a proper resident of New Jersey after living for 16 years in Maplewood because he finally saw Bruce Springsteen in concert (and it was glorious).

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